La Torre Visit
Az. Agr. La Torre, Sant'Angelo in Colle, Italy
Tasted February 14, 2015 by kevinacohn with 542 views
Introduction
La Torre is one of my favorite producers of Rosso and Brunello di Montalcino. The 2006 Rosso di Montalcino was the wine my wife and I had on our first date; it also happens to be the first wine I ever bought in a solid case (as of this writing, I still have 10 bottles left). Furthermore, I've had the pleasure of enjoying a number of older vintages in recent months, with the 1995 Brunello being one of the best wines I drank in 2014. When we decided to visit Montalcino, a stop at La Torre was a must.
Luigi Anania, proprietor of La Torre, was kind enough to accommodate a Saturday afternoon visit, during which we tasted through the current releases of his Rosso di Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino, and Brunello Riserva. Luigi was an excellent host, answering any and every question that popped into my head. A thoroughly enjoyable few hours. And at the conclusion of our visit, Luigi kindly offered us the bottles to finish over the course of the weekend—an offer that we gladly accepted, of course.
Flight 1 (4 notes)
Red
2013 Azienda Agricola La Torre Rosso di Montalcino
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino
Violets, red cherries, hints of earth. A light rendition that doesn't achieve the depth or concentration of recent vintages like 2011, 2010, and 2006. Still, in the context of the vintage it's a pretty wine, and one to drink in the next 2-3 years (which is when Luigi Anania, proprietor of La Torre, prefers to drink his Rossos anyway). La Torre put more fruit towards the Rosso than the Brunello in this vintage, so more bottles have been produced than is typical. Rated 1 on a scale of -1 to 3.
Red
2010 Azienda Agricola La Torre Brunello di Montalcino
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
Stunning nose of fresh red cherries, cherry liquor, violets, and toast, held together by a tight core of minerals. Exceptional balance and persistence on the palate. This delivers a lot of pleasure now, but as is the case with the knockout 2010 vintage in the Langhe, you sense that the best is yet to come. We finished the bottle over lunch, during which earthy tones emerged, the fruit darkened, and the wine developed a full, sweet finish. Cellar for at least five years. Rated 2 on a scale of -1 to 3.
Red
2009 Azienda Agricola La Torre Brunello di Montalcino
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
Tasted alongside the 2010, this was the richer but clearly inferior wine. There isn't enough acidity to balance the riper fruit, and the tannins and more pronounced and quite drying. Notes of dark chocolate. When we finished the bottle with lunch the following day it was greatly improved: although lacking the depth of a great Brunello, it showed pretty blue fruits, ripe red cherry, and hints of brown sugar and licorice, with sweet, grainy tannins. For nearer-term drinking. Rated 1 on a scale of -1 to 3.
Red
2009 Azienda Agricola La Torre Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
I was surprised to learn that La Torre chose to bottle a Riserva in 2009, a Brunello vintage generally viewed as being of lesser quality. But this packs quite a punch: more intensity (and also more tannins) than the 2009 normale, with aromas of cherry paste and field herbs. This needs a good ten years of aging in bottle for the elements to come together; when they do, it should be something special. Fewer than 1,000 bottles were produced. Rated 1 on a scale of -1 to 3.
Closing
Brunello is typically an expensive wine; in the United States, it's difficult to find good examples for less than $85-100 per bottle. La Torre is a glaring exception, with current releases priced around $55-60 per bottle. Luigi's wines are excellent in their own right, but viewed in the context of market conditions they become an even more compelling value, and I can attest to their ability to age gracefully. I strongly recommend building your own collection.
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